Retaining Staff a Major Concern Among CFOs

Mar 21, 2012

The brighter employment outlook is a positive sign for professionals around the world, but finance chiefs and those holding other executive jobs are

The brighter employment outlook is a positive sign for professionals around the world, but finance chiefs and those holding other executive jobs are growing more concerned about retaining some of their best workers.

The recent Robert Half CFO survey noted 91 percent of finance chiefs were planning to at least maintain their staff levels this upcoming quarter, but this could prove more difficult than it has been in the recent past.

Among CFOs in New Zealand, for instance, 52 percent pointed to staff retention as a major concern facing them this year. Another 61 percent acknowledged that it is difficult to find skilled and qualified financial professionals, reports Voxy.

Megan Alexander, general manager for Robert Half, said in a statement that increased opportunities for workers makes it harder to keep them around.

"Optimism in the job market leads to opportunities for employees and you can guarantee they'll be watching the job market closely," Alexander said.

Being prepared for workers to leave is particularly important given the fact that it takes approximately seven weeks to fill a management-level finance or accounting position, according to the survey.

According to a recent Accenture survey, 64 percent of professionals said a flexible work schedule would be reason enough to stay with a job, even it is not ideal.